Swab cutting,forming,and assembling mechanism

ABSTRACT

THIS MECHANISM IS SHOWN INCORPORATED IN A ROTARY MACHINE HAVING A ROUND TABLE THAT IS INDEXED FROM STATION TO STATION, RECEIVING AT ONE STATION A TUBULAR HOLDER FOR A SWAB, INTO WHICH IS FED AT ANOTHER STATION A CYLINDRICAL SWAB, WHICH, PRIOR TO THE INSERTION, IS CUT TO FLAT GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FORM FROM A STRIP OF ABSORBENT MATERIAL FED FROM A REEL TO A PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND, BY MOVEMENT AGAINST THE CENTER THEREOF OF THE ROUNDED END OF A CYLINDRICAL PLUNGER INTO THE BORE OF A TUBULAR FORMER,. A STRIP IS FORMED INTO A CYLINDRICAL SHAPED SWAB WITH A ROUNDED DOME AT ONE END. THE SWAB IS LATER EJECTED DIRECTLY INTO THE BORE OF A TUBULAR HOLDER WITH THE ROUNDED DOME END PROJECTING. A DROPLET OF LIQUID SOLVENT IS ADDED AT ANOTHER STATION, WHICH, BEFORE ITS EVAPORATION, HELPS TO CEMET THE SWAB IN PLACE IN THE HOLDER BY RENDERING TACKY A PLASTIC COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE HOLDER AT THE OPEN END. A TUBULAR CAP OR COVER IS THEREAFTER APPLIED AT A SUBSEQUENT STATION, AFTER WHICH THE COMPLETED ARTICLE IS DISCHARGED AT ANOTHER STATION.

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SWAB CUTTING, FORMING, AND ASSEMBLING MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 7, 1966 ets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS CARL F. AVERY, JR. ERNEST A. PEARSON LLOYD V. WINTERS Attorney Sept. 20, 1971 c, AVERY, JR" ETAL 3,605,240

SWAB CUTTING, FORMING, AND ASSEMBLING MECHANISM 2 W 4 W h I s I Gr 1 w 0 m s n 4 I 2 9 r, m w n m a I. I. 8 0 7 ,0 in w mm M D o RIU .II

M w l I 9 i an. l m N n I 6 Q m 0 INVENTORS P 20, 1971 c. F. AVERY, JR.. ETAL 3,605,240

SWAB CUTTING, FORMING, AND ASSBMBLING MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. '7, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6

INVENTORSI CARL F. AVERY, JR. ERNEST A. PEARSON LLOYD v. WINTERS O d Attorney 5 Sept. 20, 1911 c. F. AVERY, JR., 3,605,240

SWAB CUTTING, FORMING. AND ASSEMBLING MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 7, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 59 FIG. 7

INVENTORSZ CARL F. AVERY, JR. ERNEST A. PEARSON LLOYD V. WINTERS Attornev United States Patent @ffice 3,605,240 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 SWAB CUTTING, FORMING, AND ASSEMBLING MECHANISM Carl F. Avery, Jr., Ernest A. Pearson, and Lloyd V. Winters, Rockford, Ill., assignors to Medical Supply Company, Rockford, Ill.

Original application Dec. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 599,841, now Patent No. 3,461,535, dated Aug. 19, 1969. Divided and this application Mar. 12, 1969, Ser. No. 806,591

Int. Cl. B23p 19/04; B23q 7/10 US. Cl. 29208B 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This mechanism is shown incorporated in a rotary machine having a round table that is indexed from station to station, receiving at one station a tubular holder for a swab, into which is fed at another station a cylindrical swab, which, prior to the insertion, is cut to flat generally rectangular form from a strip of absorbent material fed from a reel to a predetermined length and, by movement against the center thereof of the rounded end of a cylindrical plunger into the bore of a tubular former, the strip is formed into a cylindrical shaped swab with a rounded dome at one end. The swab is later ejected directly into the bore of a tubular 'holder with the rounded dome end projecting. A droplet of liquid solvent is added at another station, which, before its evaporation, helps to cement the swab in place in the holder by rendering tacky a plastic coating on the inside of the holder at the open end. A tubular cap or cover is thereafter applied at a subsequent station, after which the completed article is discharged at another station.

This application is a division of our co-pending application Ser. No. 599,841, filed Dec. 7, 1966, now Pat. No. 3,461,535.

Our invention relates to a swab cutting and forming mechanism, originally designed for incorporation in a rotary type swab assembling machine, the mechanism being, however, not limited to that specific application. Herein the swab is cut and formed from a fiat strip of absorbent material to cylindrical form having a rounded dome at one end for insertion into the open end of a transparent plastic body or tube with the rounded dome end projecting, the tube enclosing an easily frangible vial or ampule containing a liquid medication, the projecting end of the swab being then covered by a removable cap telescoping over the swab and tube, that combination enabling use of the medication after the cap is removed and the vial broken by applying finger pressure on the side wall of the protective tube to break the vial causing release of the liquid and saturation of the swab for application to a wound. However, it must be realized that the swabs of the kind mentioned may be used in other holders and for diiferent applications, and, whereas the swab cutting and forming mechanism is herein shown as one station in a rotary type swab assembling machine, the mechanism may be a separate machine, the same being not limited to an assembling machine in which a table indexes relative to the mechanism mentioned to enable insertion of a completed swab into a tube or other holder as one after another arrives at that particular station.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a swab assembling machine or apparatus incorporating the novel mechanism for forming swabs of a generally cylindrical shape from a flat strip or tape of absorbent material carried on a reel;

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are fragmentary views pertinent to the tape feeding and cutting means;

FIG. 5 illustrates the two-stage swab forming and insertion;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the machine taken on the line 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the left-hand portion of the machine taken on line 77 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 8 is a perspective of a medication applicator incorporating the swab cut and formed in accordance with the present invention.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout these views.

The invention, for purposes of illustration, is shown in the drawings as embodied in a rotary machine for as sembling small capped, generally cylindrical, articles, such as medication applicators, having a transparent plastic body or tube 30 enclosing an easily frangible glass vial or ampule 31 (FIG. 8) containing a liquid medication, this vial being disposed beneath an applicator swab 32 of an absorbent material, with which the present invention is more specifically concerned in that these swabs, of a generally cylindrical shape having a rounded dome on one end are formed from a flat strip or tape of absorbent material carried on a reel, as hereinafter more fully described. When the swab is inserted in the plastic body or tube 30 the rounded dome end portion projects sufliciently for application of the medication, and this projecting end portion is covered by a removable cap 34 telescoped over the swab and tube. To apply the medication, the cap 34 is removed and the vial 31 is broken by applying finger pressure on the side walls of the tube 30 to break the vial or ampule, which then releases the medication to saturate the swab 32 for application to a wound. All glass fragments of the vial or ampule are retained in the tube below the swab. Herein the swab is disclosed as held in place in the tube by adhesion thereto due to an acetate lining, indicated at 35 inside the tube, which is rendered tacky, as by application of a liquid, such as acetone, to the swab 32 at the time of assembling the article.

A large supply of empty bodies or tubes 30 is provided at the first station 37 (FIG. 1) in a hopper 38 and these tubes are fed through a suitable feed means and dropped individually into a receptacle 39 on the rim of a table 40 that is adapted to be indexed to carry the tubes to and through subsequent stations until the applicator is com pletely assembled in one turn of the table in the clockwise indexing thereof indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1.

Ampules 31 are fed one by one to the table 40 into the open ends of the tubes 30 at the ampule delivery station 41 from a supply hopper 42 through a suitable feed means indicated at 1135-136. At the next station 44, with which the present invention is concerned, the swabs 32 are cut and formed and inserted, an absorbent material, such as cotton, in tape fonm being taken from a reel 45, cut to rectangular form, and formed into a cylindrical swab 32 with a rounded dome shape at one end and inserted into the open end of a tube 30 at this station with the rounded dome portion projecting. Thereafter, the next station is the capping station 46, where caps 34 are delivered one by one from hopper 48 through feed means 280' and telescoped over the swab and upper end of the tube 30 to form a complete applicator. Solvent, such as acetone, is released from a valve 49 to wet the swabs at an intermediate station '50 between the stations 44 and 46. The completely assembled applicators are discharged from the table 40 at station 264 through a discharge chute 265 into a container 266, a gap being formed between spaced ends 268 and 269 of the surrounding ring 62 that encloses table 40, so that the tubes 30 are free to be moved generally radially from receptacles 39 in the table 40 into the A chute 265 leading to the container 266. The tubes are forced off the table by the inner end of a plate 270 that extends into the space between the discs 60 and 61 forming the table 40 to cam the tubes into the space between plate 270 and its companion plate 271 parallel to it and constituting the chute 265. At this discharge point the applicators pass a limit switch (not shown) to register each applicator on an electrically operated counter (not shown), so that the output of the machine can be accurately counted automatically.

To aid in a still better understanding of the operation, as the turntable 40 advances, one tube is being deposited in a receptacle 39 at station 37, and one ampule 31 is being inserted into a tube 30 at the next station 41, while a swab 32 is being projected into another tube at the swab forming and inserting station 44, and a swab 32 is being wetted with acetone in still another tube 80 at station 50 for cementing the swab to the tube lining 35, and still another tube 30 is receiving a cap 34 at station 46, while a finished applicator is being ejected into the discharge chute 265 at the discharge station 264, the operations described all occurring simultaneously at the various stations mentioned as the table is indexed step by step in a clockwise direction. A central mechanical actuator bar 51, having a plurality of radial arms 52, spaced angularly and vertically along the bar, serves to operate the various mechanisms at the various stations in the proper timed relationship, and is guided for vertical reciprocatory movement. Suitable means is provided for reciprocating the actuator 51 in timed relation to the indexing of the table 40.

As the turntable indexes in the clockwise direction,

the tubes 30 having each received a vial 31 are moved into and through the swab cutting, inserting and forming station 34 with which the present invention is more particularly concerned and which will now be described in detail.

Cotton swabs are cut in fiat sheet form to rectangular shape from a fiat tape 145 which is fed from the supply reel journalled for rotation on a pivot pin 146 (FIG. 1) supported by a horizontal bracket 148 fixed to the left end of the machine. The leading end of the cotton tape or web is disposed beneath a horizontal guide bar 149 (FIG. 4) and threaded between two horizontal feed rollers .150 and 151 and is inserted through a horizontal slot 152 into position between vertically swingable upper and lower cutting knives 154 and 155. The lower feed roller 151 is driven intermittently by a pawl and ratchet mechanism @156 including a toothed ratchet 158 fixed coaxially for rotation with the lower feed roller when the ratchet is turned by a driving pawl 159. The upper feed roller is journalled for rotation in pillow blocks 160 (FIG. 4) which are biased by springs to slide vertically in upstanding brackets 161. A gear 162 (FIG. 6) fixed to one end of the support shaft 163 for the lower roller is meshed with a gear 164 fixed to the shaft carrying the upper feed roller 150 to drive the two rollers at the same speed in opposite directions to feed the tape 145.

To feed the tape 145 in timed relationship to the advance of the table 40, a lever 1165 carrying the pawl 159 is journalled on the shaft 163 and is oscillated by a connecting rod 166. The latter is connected to the lever by a pin i168 (FIGS. 6 and 4) and connected at its lower end by a pin 169 fixed eccentrically to a wheel 170 (FIG. 6) fixed to the left end of the main drive shaft 78, as seen in FIG. 7. With each rotation of the wheel, the connecting rod drives the lever and pawl to turn the ratchet 158 through one step to advance one feed increment of the cotton tape 145 for severing of a swab piece.

After the tape is fed forwardly, the upper knife 154 (FIG. 3) is swung downwardly to bring its knife edge into cutting relationship with a knife edge on the lower knife 155 which swings in a counter-clockwise direction (FIG. 3) about a pivot pin 171. A spring 172 (FIG. 3) biases the outer end of the lower knife to a position to have its upper edge disposed immediately below the cotton tape 145. The upper knife is formed on one end of a lever 174 pivoted on a pivot post 175 on which is caged a properly loaded compression spring 176 (FIG. 4) engaging the knife. The lever 174 is connected by a pin 178 (FIG. 4) to the upper end of a connecting rod 179 (FIGS. 6 and 4) which is connected by a. pin 180 at its lower end to a. drive block 181 that is pivoted by an eccentric pin 182 to a rotatable disc 184. As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the disc 184 is fixed on one end of a horizontal shaft .185 journalled in spaced bearings fixed to a main vertical plate 81 for rotation about a horizontal axis with turning of a gear 188 carried by the shaft and meshed with a driving gear 189 fixed to the main driving shaft 78. For each rotation of the main driving shaft 78, the shaft 185 rotates the disc 184 one turn to reciprocate the connecting rod 179 and oscillate the upper cutting knife 154 about its pivot pin 175 to sever a piece of the cotton tape 145 to form a swab.

The severed piece of cotton tape lays in a horizontal channel 187 formed between vertically spaced horizontal plates 190 and 191 (FIG. 5) disposed on the frame plate 65 to the right of the knives (FIGS. 4 and 5). The flat cotton piece is centered over a plunger 192, which, at the proper time, moves upwardly to engage the central area of the cotton piece to pucker and force the central portion thereof upwardly into the open end of a tubular former 194, which herein is in the form of a vertical sleeve 195, carried on a small turntable 196. The plunger 192 has a small diameter relative to the diameter of the sleeve bore so that the cotton may form about, that is encompass the plunger as it is forced upwardly into the sleeve. An upwardly tapered opening 197 of larger diameter than and concentric with the sleeve bore is formed in the plate 190 to guide cotton while moving upwardly into the sleeve. The swab 32 is thus formed with an upper rounded dome 198 (FIG. 5) and a generally cylindrical body disposed vertically in the sleeve after the plunger is withdrawn.

In the present instance, four formers 194 are equally spaced about the turntable 196 and the movement of the formers is such that one former will be disposed over the open end of a tube 30 to receive a formed swab 3 2 while a former diametrically opposite is disposed over the plunger 192 to receive a piece of the cotton strip, as seen in FIG. 5. For the purpose of inserting the cylindrical swab into the open end of the tube 30, an actuator plunger 199 on the actuator 51 moves down into engagement with an upper head 200 of a piston 201 having a lower end inserted in and sliding in the bore of the sleeve 195. The piston and sleeve are biased upwardly to a rest position, as seen in the left side of FIG. 5, by a coiled compression spring 202 caged between the top of the table 196 and an outwardly directed flange 204 on the upper end of the sleeve, a stronger, coiled compression spring 205 being disposed between the flange 204 and a radial shoulder 206 on the piston head 200. When the actuator plunger 199 engages the head 200 of the piston 201, the lighter compression spring 202 is compressed and the sleeve 195 moves downwardly so its lower end telescopes on the open upper end of the tube 30 as seen in FIG. 5. After the lighter spring is fully compressed, the heavier spring 206 is then compressed and the piston rod 201 moves down in the sleeve and forces the cotton swab into the open end of the tube 30 to a depth in which only the dome 198 projects above the end of the tube. When the actuator plunger moves upwardly, the springs return both the piston and the sleeve, leaving the swab wedged in the open end of the tube with the rounded top dome 198 of the swab projecting above the upper rim of the tube to serve as an applicator.

The swab carrying table 196 is secured on the upper end of a vertical shaft 208 (FIG. 7) extending downwardly through a bearing 209 fastened to the main plate 65 and, on the lower end of this shaft, is secured a gear 210 which meshes with an intermediate speed reducing gear 211 driven by the main drive gear 68 for the table 40. A roller is mounted at 212 on the outer end of an oscillatable spring pressed lever 214 to drop into one after another of a series of arcuate grooves 215 spaced about the rim of the table 196, whereby to insure close accuracy of registration of the sleeve 195 with each tube 30 prior to insertion of the swab 32. Without this registering means, slight wear on the parts would suffice to cause enough lack of registration between the sleeve 195 and the tubes 30 to give rise to danger of jamming.

In conclusion, the central mechanical actuator 51 (FIG. 1) for operating mechanisms at the respective stations in timed relationship to the movement of the tubes 30 into and through the various stations is in the form of a vertical bar guided for vertical reciprocatory movement by an integral end pin 54 received in a vertical bearing on the outer end of a support bracket 55 and by an integral shaft 56 on the lower end extending into and through a bore in a center hub 58 on the table 40, namely, on the axis of indexing rotation of the latter, and this shaft 56 is given reciprocation in timed relation to the indexing of the table 40 by means of a pitman rod 272 (FIG. 7) driven by a pin 273 eccentrically disposed on a wheel 274 turning with gear 188. The tables 40, 196 and 254 are all turned together in the proper relationship by the gearing previously described, and are indexed by suitable Geneva gear means (not shown) between the up-strokes and the down-strokes of actuator 51 with shaft 56.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of our invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a swab cutting and forming mechanism, a reel support for a supply reel on which is wound a flat strip of absorbent material, such as cotton, means to feed the strip from said reel forwardly a predetermined amount, means to sever a generally rectangular piece from the leading end of said strip, a plunger disposed on one side of the severed piece in substantially right angle relationship to the plane thereof, a former disposed on the other side of the severed piece and having a bore in substantially coaxial relation to said plunger and the piece, means for moving said plunger axially to engage a central portion of said piece and for moving said piece into the bore of said former, said plunger having a configuration to form the flat piece into a generally cylindrical shape about the plunger, and means to eject the cylindrically formed piece from said bore.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said plunger configuration has a substantially semi-spherical end, whereby to give the piece a rounded dome shape, the formed piece being entered in a tubular holder with the dome shaped portion projecting from said holder.

3. The combination of claim 1, in which a plurality of formers are provided in circumferentially spaced relation on a rotary support, each former being for forming and holding a cylindrically formed substantially rectangular piece of material from said reel, said rotary support having means for indexing the same to transfer the? cylindrically formed pieces from a position at the plunger to another position where the means to eject the pieces cooperates with the formers.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the formers include a sleeve having said bore for receiving the pluger at one end, and the ejecting means includes a piston reciprocable in the sleeve bore and disposed on the side of the cylindrical piece opposite the plunger.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which a first spring holds the former sleeve at an elevated position relative to the upper end of a tubular member destined to receive the cylindrically formed piece, and a second and stronger spring is disposed between the piston and the former sleeve so that a force applied to the piston first causes a telescoping movement of the sleeve about the tubular member and then causes a downward movement of the piston to eject the cylindrically formed piece.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which the feeding means for the strip is a pawl and ratchet mechanism which feeds the strip forwardly in intermittent steps, and in which the severing means includes a pair of pivotally mounted blades movable together to sever the piece from the strip, the combination including means for swinging the blades to sever the strip between successive feeding operations of the pawl and ratchet mechanism.

7. In an applicator assembling machine, means includ ing a rotatable table for receiving a plurality of circumferentially spaced tubes each adapted to receive a swab protruding from one end thereof, means for indexing the table about a vertical axis between successive stations spaced circumferentially about the table to advance the tubes in a circular path, means at a first station for feeding a tube to a position over the circular path and for depositing a tube with an open end up on said table, swab cutting and forming mechanism at another station including a supply reel, on which is wound a flat strip of absorbent material, such as cotton, means to feed the strip from said reel forwardly a predetermined amount for each Swab, means to sever a generally rectangular piece from the leading end of said strip for the swab, a plunger disposed vertically on one side of the severed piece in substantially right-angle relationship to the plane thereof, a former disposed vertically on the other side of the severed piece and having a bore in substantially coaxial relation to said plunger and the piece, means for moving said plunger upwardly to engage the central portion of said piece and for moving said piece into the bore of said former, said plunger having a configuration to form the flat piece into a generally cylindrical shaped swab about the plunger, and means to subsequently eject the cylindrically formed swab from said bore downwardly into the open end of a tube, and means to another station for discharging said assembled applicators from said table.

8. In an applicator assembling machine, means including a rotatable table for receiving a plurality of circumferentially spaced tubes each adapted to receive a swab protruding from one end thereof, means for rotating the table between successive stations spaced circumferentially about the table to advance the tubes in a circular path, means at a first station for feeding a tube to a position over the circular path and for depositing a tube with an open end up on said table, means at another station for feeding swabs to a position over the circular path and for inserting these swabs one by one into the open ends of said tubes, and means at another station for discharging said assembled applicators from said table, and a dispensing means at one station to dispense a small quantity of a liquid to the swab to cement the swab to the tube.

9. In an applicator assembling machine, means including a rotatable table for receiving a plurality of circumferen'tially spaced tubes each adapted to receive a swab protruding from one end thereof, means for rotating the table between successive stations spaced circumferentially about the table to advance the tubes in a circular path, means at a first station for feeding a tube to a position over the circular path and for depositing a tube with an open end up on said table, means at another station for feeding swabs to a position over the circular path and for inserting these swabs one by one into the open ends of said tubes, and means at another station for discharging said assembled applicators from said table, the tubes having a dry adhesive lining, and the machine including means at one station for dispensing a liquid solvent for said adhesive onto each swab to cement the swab to the tube by wetting said lining through the swab.

10. A machine as set forth in claim 7, wherein each applicator includes a tubular cover closed at one end and fitting over the tube in telescoping relationship thereto enclosing the swab, the machine including cover feeding and applying means operated in timed relation to the other means recited.

11. A machine as set forth in claim 7, wherein said swabs have a rounded dome defined at one end, said swabs being inserted into said tubes so the rounded dome ends project from said tubes.

12. A machine for assembling applicators each comprising a tubular body, and a swab entered in the open end of the body and protruding therefrom, said machine comprising the combination of a rotatable turntable disposed for turning about a vertical axis and for advancing the tubular bodies in timed relationship to and through assembly stations to receive the swabs, one in each tubular body, two feed means spaced circumferentially about the turntable for feeding to the turntable in timed relationship the tubular bodies and the swabs, and an actuator movable vertically relative to the table and havin a plurality of radially extending arms spaced circumferentially and vertically to operate the respective feed means in timed relationship to the rotary table advancement in its vertical reciprocation.

13. The machine of claim 12, wherein each applicator includes a tubular cap closed at one end and fitting over the tubular body in telescoping relationship thereto enclosing the swab, the machine including cap feeding and applying means operated in timed relationship to the other means recited.

14. The machine of claim 12, in which the bodies have a dry adhesive lining, the machine including means for 8 dispensing a liquid solvent to the swab for activating the adhesive to cause adhesion of the swab to the body and further including an arm on said actuator for operating said dispensing means.

15. A combination of claim 12 in which the turntable for advancing the tubes includes a plurality of spaced discs rotatably and coaxially mounted and defining vertically spaced grooves between the peripheral edges, and a lower bottom disc rotatably and coaxially mounted with the other discs for supporting the closed ends of the tubes, and an outer rim substantially encircling the discs and disposed vertically adjacent the discs to support the tubes against displacement radially from the grooves until they arrive at a discharge end of said rim.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,783 10/1944 McLaughlin. 2,698,478 1/l955 Heisterkamp et al 29-208 2,841,937 7/1958 Miskel et al. 292l1 3,043,416 7/1962 Weller 29211 GIL WEIDENFELD, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29--208D, 211D 

